Work supporting device



Feb. 28, 19.39. A. KING-SLEY 2,148,563

' WORK SUPPORTING DEvIE 4 Filed Oct. 12, r1936 v ATToR/vgv.

Patented Feb. 1939` uw'llazpl STATES' PATENT oFFIcE autres .woax surroarmc nevica Lewis A. Kingsley, 'Los Anzeles, caux. Application october 12, 19st, serai No. 105,228

1o claims.

My invention relates to a work supporting device, and more particularly a device for supportilig articles during their contact with a pressing ead.

5 My invention finds particular utility in the supporting of flat articles such as' cards, bill folds, or the like, and articles not 'flat such as fountain pens and pencils, to contact with a stamping 'head for imprinting 'indicia upon such articles,

and the advantages of my invention will be described in connection with such use, it being understood, however, that the work supporting device of my invention is -not limited to such use.

In imprinting indicia upon articles there is usually employed 'an imprinting machine including a baseupon whichvthe article to be imprinted is supported and a reciprocating head supported by said base and carrying characters which upon the reciprocation of the head are brought into f contact with the article to be imprinted. It is desirable that such a device have the capacity for imprinting indicia upon not only articles that are flat, such as cards, bill folds, or the like, but also articles that are notfat, such as fountain pens,

g5 pencils, or the like.

It is an object of my invention to provide a work support 'quickly adaptable for supporting articles of both classes in position for imprinting by a stamping head.

a0 It is another object of my invention to providev a work supporting device which includesa support for fiat articles upon which a support for arti les which are not at may be quickly installed in position to support such articles in ex- 35 act alignment with a stamping head and which may be quickly removed from the device.

In stamping articles\which are not fiat, such as fountain pens and pencils, it is frequently desirable to remove the article from the machine to 40 inspect the imprint thereon, and if-this imprint be imperfect it isdesirable to replace the article in the machine for a subsequent imprinting coincident with the rst.

It is accordingly an object of my invention to 45 provide a work supporting device which includes a supporting member for articles which. are not flat which so supports such articles that the article and support may b e removed from the device for inspection of the article and may there- 50 after be re-installed in the device with the article in exact alignment with vthe stamping head so that a subsequent imprint will coincide with the first. f

' Many of the articles which it may be desired to stamp are of cylindrical cross section and hollow, such as 4the caps and barrels of fountain pens. It is anobject of my invention to provide a work supporting device including a supporting member for articles circular in cross section which so supports such articles as to more evenly dis- 5 tribute around the periphery of such articles the forcel of impact of the stamping head and thus vminimize the destructive tendency of such force.

Many of the articles which it may be desired to imprint are in cross section in the shape of a regular polygon of twelve sides. It is an object of my invention to provide a work supporting member adapted for securely holding 'an article oi' twelve sided cross section for contact with a pressing head.

Many articles, such as fountain pen barrels or caps which it may be desired to imprint, are not of uniform cross-sectional area, but may be frusto-conical. It is of course necessary, if a clear imprint is to be secured, that the Contact between, the article to be imprinted' and the pressing or stamping head should be uniform throughout the length of the characters on the head to be imprinted on the article. It is an object of my invention to provide a work supporting device which 2 includes a supporting member for articles not of uniform thickness which automatically adjusts itself to equalize the pressure of contact between the stamping head and the article tr :oughout thc length of the indicia to be imprinted. It is still another object of my invention to provide a work supporting device which includes means for retaining articles which are not flat upon the supporting member so that the supporting member with the article retained thereon may be removed from the machine and re-installed thereon without any movement of the article relative to the supporting member.

An embodiment of my invention capable of providing the foregoing objects, and others,fis described in the following specication which may be better understood by reference to the `accompanying drawing, in which Fig. 1 is a plan view of the base member of the work supporting device of my invention;

Fig. 2 is an elevational view partially in section of the work supporting device of my invention with a fragmentary view of the .pressing orstamping head;

Fig. 3 is a front elevational view, partially sectioned, of my work supporting device and a fragmentary view of the pressing or stamping head; and

Fig. 4 is a perspective View of the -work supporting member of my device.

Referring ftofthe drawing, which is for illustrative purposes only,'the numeral indicates a base member which includes a base I2 having a flange I3 around its periphery, and a top |4. Projecting upwardly from the top I4 are bosses I5 havingopenings I6 therethrough communieating with recesses I1 in the lower surface of the top I4. Screws |8 project through the open- 'ings I6 and are threaded into a top member or plate I9, the upper surface of which is a plane surface, to provide a support for flat articles to be stamped or imprinted. As is illustrated in Fig. 2, the upper ends of the screws I8 are flush with or slightly below the upper surface of the top member I9. The base member II is provided with an upwardly projecting portion 20 at its rearward end for supporting in asuitable manner, not shown, a reciprocable stamping or imprinting head 2| carrying indicia 22 to be'pressed against the article supported on the base l I.

The numeral 23 indicates the supporting member' of the device of my invention' which includes a body member 24 having an article receiving groove 2,5 formed in its upper surface. 'I'he groove 25 includes plane surface side walis 26 converging downwardlyy at an langle of with each other. The lower edges of the side walls 26A are connected by an arcuate wail 2l. The supporting member 23 includes a' forwardly projecting portion 28 having an upwardly extending .post 29 at substantially the central transverse axis of the supporting member 23. 'I'he post 29 includes an upper reduced portion 30 adapted for projecting Athrough an opening 3| of a retaining member 32. 'I'he retaining member 32 includes a pair of arms 33 and 34 having inclined portions 35, and kportions 36 substantially parallel with retaining member 32. The arms 33 and 34, as is well illustrated in Fig. 4, extend over the article receiving groove 25 of the work supporting mem- A second opening 31 is provided in the retaining member 32 and a sc'rew 38 extends through this opening into threaded engagement with the projecting portion 28 of the body member 24. The upper end or screw 38 is provided with a head 39 which engages the upper surface of the retaining member 32. A coil spring 40 surrounds the screw 38 with its lower end bearing against the upper surface of the projecting portion 28 of the supporting member body 24 and its upper end bearing against the retaining member .32 so that it resiliently urges the retaining member 32 upwardly relative to the supporting member 23.

Projecting downwardly from the supporting member body 24 on the central transverse axis thereof are projecting portions 4I, shown in Fig'.

2 as two-in number. As illustrated in llg.A 3,. the

-, 43 is adapted for reception in an opening 44 in projecting portions 4| are provided4 with an arcuate lower surface 42 so that the supporting member 23 may rock on the projecting. portions 4| relative to the top member I9. Near each end of the supporting member body 24 and upon the axis midway between the projectingportionsl 4|,

are guides or guide-members in the form of downwardly projecting pins 43. Each of the pins the` top member I9. 'I'he relative cross-sectional areas of the pins 43 and' the openings 44 are such that'the worksupporting member 23 may freely rock about the projecting portions 4I be'- tween the limits defined by the contact of they en'ds of the suppprtlng member body 24 with` the top member I9, while the work supporting member 23 is restrained against movement inv a plane parallel to the plane of the top member I9.

When it is desired to stamp or imprint indicia upon an article which isfiat, such as a card or bill foldl or the like, the work supporting member `23 is removed from the base member |I so that the top member I9 is available, as illustrated in Fig. l, for the support of the article. It is to be noted that the openings 44 for the reception of isr pencil, or the like, the stamping head 2| ismoved go to its uppermost position and the article supporting member 23 is installed on the base member I I, as illustrated in Fig. 2, by simply lowering the supporting member 23 on the base member with the pins 43 in the openings 44. The article to be imprinted, indicated by the numeral 46, is placed in the article receiving groove 25 in position to be imprinted and the screw 38- is then threaded into the bodymember 24 by rotating the head 39 until the arms 33 and 34 clamp the article 46 against the walls of the groove 25. The arms 33 and 34 are formed of resilient material and preferably the entire retaining member 32 is resilient so that the article 46 is firmly clamped in place. Thereafter thc indicia 22 are brought into contact with the upper surface of the article 46 to secure the desired imprint. If now the supporting member 23 is withdrawn from the base I2 by simply lifting it upwardly until the pins 43 are removed from the openings 44, the article 46 may be carefully inspected and, if the imprint is not perfect, the supporting member 23 with the article 46 may be re-installed in the base II ina position indicated'in Fig. 2. Since the article 46 is firmly-secured by the retaining member 32 against movement relative to the -supporting member 23, and since the pins 43 entering the openings 44 insure the same 'alignment of the supporting member 23 with the -top member I9 that was previously attained, it will be obvious that successive imprinting operations may be made on the same article with perfect registry until the desired imprint is'secured.

` If the article 46 is twelve sided, as illustrated in Fig. 2, it will be: apparent that two ofthe flat sides will contact the converging walls 26 of the article receiving groove 25, presenting another at side of the article 46 in a horizontal plane for the reception of -the imprint. With such an article, as with an article circular in cross section.

the lines of force represented by the vertical pressure of the pressing head 2| and th'e pressure of the converging walls 26 on the article 46 intersect, forming three equal central angles of each, due to the fact that the converging walls 26 make an angle of 60 with each other. Thus, the forces applied to the twelve sided or cylindrical article are three in number, spaced equidistant around th'e periphery of -the article, thus applying, as equally as three contacts can, equal force around the periphery of the article and minimizing the destructive tendencyor crushing tendency of the pressural contact of the stamping head 2| with the article. 'I'his is true although such articles be of various diameters since the walls 26 are cross-sectional areas of the reduced portion 3Ii amazes of the article wall would be unequal and the i destructive or crushing tendency of the vforce exerted on the article by the stamping head would be enhanced.

i If the article 4B is of unequal thickness; e.,g., triangularor frusto-conical in section, the supporting member 23 rocks in a vertical plane about the projecting portions4l as pressure is applied to the article by the indicia 22 untilthe upper surface of the article 46 is parallel with the plane 0f the indicia. so that the indicia 22 contacts the article 46 with equal pressure throughout the length of the indicia. The cross-sectional area of the openings 3| and 31 are greater than the and the screw 38 respectively which pass through these openings so that the retaining member 32 may adjust itself to such articles of non-uniform thickness to securely clamp-them in the article receiving -groove 25.v Moreover, the resilience of the retaining member 32 permits the arms 33 and 34 some limited movement relative to each other, which contributes to this secure clamping of such articles. d

It is frequently found that in spite of extreme J care in assembly the top member I9 is not in the exact desired alignment with the stamping head- 2| to cause the indicia. 22 to be properly centered over the work receiving groove 25. To provide a quick adjustment for correcting such alignment, the openings I6 in the ba'se I2 are made of larger cross-sectional area than the'cross-sectional area of the screws I8 and the recesses I1 in the base I2 are made llargerthan the screw heads I8. Thus when the screws I8 are tightened to secure the top member I9 in pressural contact with the bosses I5 of the base I2 and the work supporting member '23 is installed on the top member I9; as illustrated in Fig, 2, if it be found that there is improper alignment between the indicia 22 and the article receiving groove 25, it is necessary only to subject the top member I9 to impact as by tapping'it with a hammer to cause the slight movement of the top member I9 rela tive to the b ase I2 which will provide the desired alignment. y 1

While that embodiment of my invention hereinbefore illustrated and described is fully capable of performing the objects and providing the advantages primarily stated, there are various other embodiments of my invention likewise capable of performing lthese objects and providing these advantages, and I therefore wish my invention to support of at articles; a supporting member for supporting` articles not at, said member being detachably installed on said base member; a projecting portion on said supporting member engaging a portion oi' said plane surface whereby said supporting member may rock on said base member; and means on said supporting member removably extendinginto openings in said base member for restraining movement of said supporting member parallel to the plane of said base member, whereby articles neither fiat nor of uniform thickness on said supporting member are 75 subjected to contact-with the pressing head with uniform pressure throughout the length of the pressing head.`

2. A stamping machine work support, including: a body member; al retaining member cooperating with said body member to clamp work therebetween; a post o none of said members projecting through an opening in the other of said members, said post being of a cross-sectional area yslightly less than the cross-sectional area. of said opening whereby said retaining member may move vertically and rock relative to said body member; and an adjusting member extending through an opening in one of said members and into the other of said members for moving said retaining member on said post, said adjusting member being of a cross-sectional area less than the cross-sectional area of said opening through which it extends, whereby said retaining member may rock relativeto said adjusting member.

3. A stamping machine work support, including: a body member; a retaining member coop- Vthreaded into saidfbody member and extending through an opening in said retaining member of greater diameter than said screw whereby said retaining member lmay rock relative to said body member; a head on said adjusting screw engaging said retaining member; and spring means -resiliently urging said retaining member into contact with said head.

4. A stampingmachine work support, including: a body member having therein an article receiving groove of substantially uniform cross section; a retaining member having arms of resilient material projecting over said groove to clamp work in said groove; means so connecting said retaining member to said body member that said retaining member may move vertically relative to said body member and may rock about a horizontal axis normal to said groove; and means for moving said retaining member vertically.

vEl. In a support for an article upon which indicia is to be placed, the combinationof: a base having openings therein; a top member; and means-projecting throughsaid openings in ysaid base and retaining said top member in pressural contact with said base, said projecting means being smaller in cross-section than said openings vso that said top member may be moved in a plane parallel to the plane of said base by impact.

6. In a support for an article to be subjected to contact with a pressing member, the combination of: a base having openings therein; a

top member having a plane surface for supporting fiat articles, said Lsurface having openings therein; a supporting member having an article receiving groove in its upper surface and projections adapted for extending into said openings in said top member to removably secure said supporting member to said top member against horizontal movement relative thereto; and means projecting through said openings in said base and engaging said top member to retain said top member in pressural contact with said base, said openings in said base being larger' than `said means whereby said top member may be moved relative to said base to align said groove of said supporting member-with the pressing member.

1. In a device of the character describedjfor working on articles of various configurations, the combination of: aiiat base member for the support ofat articles; a supporting member for non-nat articles: a projecting portion on said supporting member removably resting upon "said base member whereby said supporting mem- 'ber may rock on said base member; and means limiting the Amovement of said supporting member relative to said base member to rocking in one plane.

8. In a device of the character described for working on articles of various configurations, the y combination of: a base member for iiat articles; a supporting member for articles of other cong'urations; a projecting portion on said supporting member removably resting upon said base member whereby said supporting member is capable of rocking motion relative to said base member; and guide means on said supporting member removably received in openings in said base member for limitingvthe movement oi' said supporting member relative to said base member to one plane. ,l

9. In a -device of the character described for working on articles ot various congurations, the combination of: a base member having a at upper Isurface .for supporting :dat articles: a supporting member for articles of other congurations; a projecting portion on said supportingl member resting upon said base portion to provide forv rocking movement of the supporting I member on said base member; and guide mem#A bers projecting downwardfrom said supporting member on opposite sides of saidprojecting portion to removably engage openings on said base member for centering said supportingvmember and for limiting its movement relative to said base member to a rocking, motion.

10. In a stamping machine the combination with a base and a die adapted for movement toward and away from said base? of means to provide even contact between the die and an article supported by the base, said means comprising:

-a rocker body mounted onsaid base for rocking movement; and a lretaining vmeans mounted on the body to grip an article against said body, said retaining means being mounted for adjustment by rocking movement relative to said rockerl body to accommodate anarticle of non-uniform thickness.

LEWIS A. KINGSLEY. 

